With Dawkins now working in the 303 area code, only cornerback Sheldon Brown has been breaking up passes longer for the Eagles. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson says Mikell will be "one of the Pro Bowl safeties in this league very, very fast."

Then there's Quintin Demps, the 2008 fourth-round pick out of Texas El-Paso. Eagles fans remember him getting beat by Larry Fitzgerald for a 62-yard touchdown in the NFC title loss to the Cardinals.

Demps has a lot of accountability in him, just as Dawkins did. Asked if the Fitzgerald play would live in infamy, Demps shot back, "Two of them now. There were two plays."

The second costly play was the blindside hit Demps put on Cards quarterback Kurt Warner -- directly in front of an official -- for a 15-yard penalty. That helped set up the late field goal giving the Cards a 24-6 lead at the half.

Demps said he just got twisted up and lost his footing on the TD pass.

"It happens to the best of them," Demps said. "He's the best receiver in the league. I was there, but there are no excuses in this league. I got burnt."

The league office billed him $7,500 for the hit on Warner.

"It was a cheap shot and I was frustrated at the time," Demps said. "I got burnt for a touchdown. They were kicking me in the bleep on kick returns. I got stiff-armed. I was just going through it."

That was then. The now is Johnson feels Demps -- not Sean Jones, the safety who picked off four passes with the Browns last season -- is the best successor for Dawkins.

Jones will play mostly strong safety, not free safety, the position Demps is best suited for with his ability to run and blitz.

When Johnson was asked about losing Dawkins, his answer was Demps.

"I like Quintin Demps a lot, I really do," Johnson said. "And you know how I feel about Dawkins. We miss a big part of our stuff. But I do like Demps. I think the guy loves to play football. He's got the same enthusiasm Dawk does. I feel pretty good right now as far as safety is concerned."

l l l

NOTES: Among the coaching interns attending Eagles minicamp is Michael Zordich, the Penn State product who played for the Birds from 1994-98. Andy Reid and Johnson welcomed Zordich back. "I've always had the itch to get back into football and now that my kids are grown the timing seems right," said Zordich, 45. "It was great of Andy and Jim -- who I played for with (the Phoenix Cardinals) -- to let me come in." Zordich is defensive backs coach of Youngstown State ... Undrafted free agent defensive tackle Jervonte Jackson (Florida Atlantic) gets "a little better each day" according to Eagles starting center Jamaal Jackson, his older brother. "He had a little of that deer-in-the-headlights look the first day," Jamaal Jackson said. "But that's gone and hopefully he's here for more days." Tragically the Jacksons' older brother, Kamar, 29, was killed in an automobile crash last September. He was buried on Jervonte Jackson's birthday ... Jackson is in camp on a tryout along with quarterback Adam DeMichelle (Temple), tight end Ian Jorgensen (UMass) and defensive tackle Trevor Jenkins (Middle Tennessee State) ... Punter Sam Swank boomed a 70-yard punt in the afternoon practice that dropped out of the sky like a bomb exploding off the facemask of rookie returner Jeremy Maclin ... Demps almost picked off a deep McNabb play-action pass intended for Maclin in the afternoon practice.